Fen Phen Lawsuits

Yes, You Can Still File A Claim

Fen Phen was an anti-obesity combination drug therapy that was common in the 1990′s. The drugs were introduced by American Home Products Corp. and marketed by their subsidiary Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. Wythe was purchased by Pfizer in 2009. Phentermine (Adipex, Fastin and Lonamin) was approved by the FDA as a short term, single-drug therapy for obese patients in 1959. Fenfluramine (Pondimin was approved for short-term single-drug use in 1973. In 1996, the FDA approved Dexfenfluramine (Redux) for longer-term use (up to one year), single-drug usage for extremely obese patients. The drugs work by suppressing appetite and altering serotonin levels in the brain. Fen Phen and heart valve damage was first notice by physicians in the 1990’s as it became increasingly popular to prescribe both Phentermine in combination with the either Fenfluramine or Dexfenfluramine. Fen Phen derives its name from the two active drugs Fenfluramine and Phentermine.

In July 1997 the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation reported 24 cases of a rare heart valve disease among women who took Fen Phen. Subsequently, more and more cases of Fen Phen and heart valve damage were reported to the FDA. By September 30th the FDA had received 144 provider-initiated reports of Fen Phen and heart valve damage. The drugs are associated with valvular lesions and leakage on both sides of the heart, particularly the left valve. The valve damage connected to Fenfluramine in combination with Phentermine showed up at a rate of 79%. 98% of the cases occurred among women between the ages of 22-68. The median duration of drug use was 9 months. 27 of the case-patients required cardiac valve-replacement surgery and three of these patients died during surgery. Both Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine were voluntarily removed from the US market in 1997 after a request for removal from the FDA. However, this wasn’t before millions of prescriptions had been written and filled for these drugs. It is estimated that approximately 14 million prescriptions were written for Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine between 1995 and 1997 before the Fen Phen recalls.

These initial medical cases were followed by another five Fen Phen studies in Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The overall prevalence of valvular lesions among all five studies was 32.8% compared to about 5% normally seen in the general population.

Following the removal of Fen Phen from the market hundreds of Fen Phen lawsuits were filed against the manufacturers of Fen Phen including a nationwide class action lawsuit that was settled in January 2002. Wythe went on to appeal many of these Fen Phen lawsuits and suffered a severe blow in the 6th Circuit on October 15th 2010 when the federal appeals court refused to rehear a Fen Phen lawsuit. In addition, in 2011 the Supreme Court ruled against Wyeth in a case related to one of their other drugs and this ruling might potentially open up state litigation cases once again for Fen Phen. To date Wythe has paid out billions of dollars in Fen Phen lawsuits.

The most insidious part of Fen Phen and heart valve damage is that many people who took Fen Phen are just now experiencing symptoms indicating that they have heart problems. Often the early stages of valvular leakage are overlooked unless a patient has an electrocardiogram. If you or a loved one took Fen Phen for any duration longer than a few weeks in the 1990’s it is recommended that you have an electrocardiogram to assess the fitness of your heart. If the electrocardiogram shows valvular damage or leakage you should seek legal council to help you recover compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering.

Fen Phen Usage Has Been Known To Cause:

Heart valve disease

Valve lesions

Pulmonary Hypertension

Excessive valve tightness (stenosis)

Valve leakiness (regurgitation)

Problems with heart function

Fen Phen Symptoms Include:

Shortness of breath

Excessive tiredness

Dizziness

Coughing blood

Blue lips, hands and feet

Chest pain

Fainting

Swelling of the legs (edema)

Already Filed A Claim?

If you’ve already filed a claim and received a settlement but your condition has deteriorated overtime you may be eligible for further compensation.

AttorneyOne.com is a free consumer service. We are not a law firm. We help you find the best representation for your legal needs.

If you or a loved one are in need of legal assistance concerning Fen Phen you should consult a lawyer immediately. Most cases are handled on a contingency basis so you will pay no attorney fees unless you win your case.

Email a Fen Phen firm in one click; by filling out the simple Free Case Evaluation form.

12 Responses to “Fen Phen Lawsuits”

There is a hidden connection between weight loss and low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) which few people are aware of.
Seek advice your doctor and as well , get his endorsement
first before preceding any exercise along with diet plan.
There are people who do their body more harm than good when they go to any of
the Toronto weight loss clinics.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

[…] 100 Actions Currently Pending in Fen Phen Multi-District Litigation: Now, AttorneyOne Can Provide Advice January 30, 2013 According to the US Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation (MDL) there are currently 100 actions pending in the Fen Phen MDL, as of January 14th, 2013. In light of these news, AttorneyOne, a recognized authority on law, informs that they are now providing advice, including how to get in contact with legal counsel, to people potentially affected by Fen Phen side effects. http://www.attorneyone.com/fen-phen-lawsuits/ […]

[…] As Market Watch published on November 6th, 2012, Vivus reported weak Qsymia diet-drug sales since its launch in September. Qsymia includes phentermine, a stimulant included in Fen Phen which was linked with heart valve damage and primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Now, AttorneyOne.com, a recognized authority on law, can provide helpful, proven advice and simple solutions including how to get in contact with legal counsel so anyone can easily and inexpensively deal with cases of Fen Phen severe adverse events [http://www.attorneyone.com/fen-phen-lawsuits/ […]

[…] media spotlight is often a double-edged sword. No one knows this better than people who filed Phen Phen Lawsuit. And yet, gossip and rumor-mongering aside, the real story here is being overlooked according to […]

[…] New Study Findings Might Lead to New Diet Pill: AttorneyOne.com Informs You Can Still File a Claim for Fen Phen Adverse Events reddit_url = "http://www.dietprogramtoday.info/2012/03/new-study-findings-might-lead-to-new-diet-pill-attorneyone-com-informs-you-can-still-file-a-claim-for-fen-phen-adverse-events/&quot;;reddit_title = "New Study Findings Might Lead to New Diet Pill: AttorneyOne.com Informs You Can Still File a Claim for Fen Phen Adverse Events";reddit_newwindow="1"; google_ad_client = "pub-3831624734245132"; google_ad_channel =""; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; google_ad_format = "300x250_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; google_color_link = "0000FF"; google_color_text = "000000"; google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; google_color_url = "008000"; A new study carried out at the Georgetown University Medical Center and published in Nature Medicine on March 18th, 2012 showed that a single gene’s effect on the brain can result in non-stop eating. The findings of the study can lead to ways of turning on brain sensitivity to hormones that suppress appetite, according to the authors. As Dr. Xu said, the better approach might be to find a drug that can stimulate Bdnf (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) expression in the hypothalamus. A new drug that will suppress appetite might come years after the FDA pulled Fen Phen, a popular anti-obesity combination drug therapy, from shelves in 1997 due to concerns about damage the drug was doing to patients’ heart valves. According to a 2008 study in BMC Medicine, many individuals that had taken Fen Phen in the past were found to have heart valve damage up to 7 years later. Now, AttorneyOne.com, a recognized authority on law, can provide helpful, proven advice and simple solutions including how to get in contact with legal counsel so anyone can easily and inexpensively deal with cases of Fen Phen severe adverse events (http://www.attorneyone.com/fen-phen-lawsuits/). […]

[…] People who tried Fen Phen in the past might just now experience symptoms related to heart valve damage. Fen Phen is a diet pill popular in the 1990’s. In July 1997 the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation reported 24 cases of a rare heart valve disease among women who took Fen Phen. On September 15, 1997, the FDA ordered Fen Phen, taken on the shelves and banned the sale. Now, AttorneyOne.com, a recognized authority on law, can provide helpful, proven advice and simple solutions including how to get in contact with legal council so anyone can easily and inexpensively deal with cases of Fen Phen side effects. http://www.attorneyone.com/fen-phen-lawsuits/ […]

The content contained herein was not prepared by lawyers and should not be taken as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney. Additionally, this information is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship simply by its viewing. The creation of an attorney-client relationship requires more than viewing this or affiliated websites. Neither the transmission nor receipt of this website material will create an attorney-client relationship between sender and receiver. The material contained herein is general in nature and may or may not be applicable to a viewer's individual legal needs. Online readers should not act on this information without seeking professional counsel. Please read our 'Disclaimer & Privacy Policy' for more information.